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EDGARD — Parish Council members on May 11 approved a request from Greenup Industries to add an additional 90 calendar days to the original contract for the long-awaited water meter reading and billing project in St. John the Baptist Parish.

This will allow additional time to secure materials and complete commercial water meter installations.

The change order, according to parish Chief Financial Officer Robert Figuero, increases the original contract amount by $119,262.12, which will be funded through a Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality low interest loan.

“This is the second time (Greenup) has asked for an extension,” Councilwoman Tammy Houston noted, adding that the project has been extended from one year to 592 days.

Figuero noted the first extension was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic putting the project on hold in early 2020.

According to Figuero, the project with the commercial meters was a little more complex than anticipated, and additional time, materials and labor are needed to complete the installations.

“For the sake of making sure this project is completed efficiently and accurately, we felt that this was a necessary extension,” Figuero said.

Figuero said the change order affects 110 commercial meters.

In related news, the Parish Council approved a resolution authorizing the parish to amend a professional services agreement with Digital Engineering and Imaging for continued engineering tasks such as construction and loan administration and compliance for an additional 90 days at a cost of $6,250, also funded through an LDEQ loan.

In other action, the parish is taking steps toward converting the Woodland Wastewater Treatment Plant site into a pump station to re-direct wastewater to the River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Parish Council voted to authorize a professional agreement with GSA Consulting Engineering Inc. of Gonzales. The cost of the agreement is approximately $65,607 to be funded through an EPA Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program Grant, as well as the Utilities Department Budget.